differences between "In the absence of" and "in the lack of"
In the absence of these factors, the way customers are treaded when they have a reason to call has a fundamental effect on a company's ability to retain them as customers.
In this senceten , why cant we use lack instead of absence?

Question

differences between "In the absence of" and "in the lack of"
In the absence of these factors, the way customers are treaded when they have a reason to call has a fundamental effect on a company's ability to retain them as customers.
In this senceten , why cant we use lack instead of absence?

Answer

Absence usually signifies that something is not there.  Lack of usually means a shortage.

In the sentence you referenced, I think the "factors" are missing.  A lack of the factors does not mean that the factors can't be there.  It may mean that the substance of the "factors" are lacking.

Answer

You could rewrite the sentence like this:  Due to a lack of these factors and the way customers are treated when they have a reason to call,  has a fundamental effect on a company's ability to retain them as customers.
  Absence may sound better  even though "a lack of"  means absence.